The law of cause and effect is probably one of the easiest if not the easiest laws to understand. The only problem when it comes to people and the Law of Cause and Effect is that they just forget about it all together. However, if you’d learn how to always remember this universal law and use it for your own advantages you would advance well in life, indeed.

In order to make the most of the Law of Cause and Effect, you must live consciously and recognize that you are the creator of your own reality. Laura Silva Quesada

What Cause and Effect Really Mean?

This law means that everything you “cause” will get later its own “effect”. The effect of a ball thrown against a wall is the bouncing back of that ball. Basically, ever thing that you “cause” good or bad will be bouncing back to you. You may get bounces back from things you’ve done years ago, but it will bounce back sooner or later.

The best way to visualize how to Law of Cause and Effect works is to compare your life to a garden. If you take the seed of a carrot and plant it, it will cause a carrot to grow. If you plant the seed of a pepper, a pepper will grow. You will get the exact vegetable or fruit kind of the seed you’ve planted. You will never get a pepper if you’ve planted the seed of a carrot and vice versa.

What Does this Law of Cause and Effect has to Do with Your Life?

People do things every day with the hope of getting something different from what they’ve planted. Really, they believe in miracles. They believe that they can plant a carrot in their garden of life and get a pepper to grow. If that ever happens to you, please, let me know!

Realistically, however, you are going to get the fruits of whatever seeds you’ve planted. That’s how prisons get filled. Some people plant seeds of crime and violence and eventually, sooner or later, they reap the causes of such activities which is the loss of their freedom, dignity, and sometimes even their life.

Now on a not so grand and dramatic scale, we are planting seeds, (causing) things every single day. With whatever we are planting comes a time to reap. Even the Bible talks about this law “for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap” Galatians 6:7.

How can you Use the Law of Cause and Effect for More Success in your Life?

It certainly can be said that the Law of Cause and Effect is directly linked to the Law of Attraction. It can even be said that the Law of Attraction is a cause and effect phenomenon. Basically, once you’ve understood fully the Cause and Effect Law, you’d understand the Law of Attraction.

You can cause an effect with your thoughts, actions and lack thereof. Negative thoughts have a strong tendency to bring about negative effects. Positive thoughts have the tendency of bringing about positive effects. Actions that you will take or lack thereof will have equal effects as well.

Here is an example. Let’s say you have the desire to become an online entrepreneur and want to create a blog to sell your service. Right now it’s a desire, an idea that you would love to realize. However, you don’t take action on it. All it is at this point it’s a wish. The effect of such wish will have basically no effect. You status quo will produce a status quo effect. Nothing bad, but nothing good either.

Now, let’s say you have this great blog idea about the same service, but this time, you are taking action. You are creating that blog and you’re working at it every day with no excuse. The effect of this will be that your blog will start growing and eventually you are going to generate some business with it. The cause, your positive actions, will generate the effect, success in your business with your blog.

You do nothing, you get nothing. You do something, you get something. That’s as simple as that.

The Slight Edge of Cause and Effect

I’ve read a great book about 6 years ago titled The Slight Edge by Jeff Olson. This book is all about the Law of Cause and Effect in slow doses, so to speak. Basically, the book explains how even a little tiny something that you do on a daily basis or regular basis will have an effect in the end.

For example, a good habit, even one that seems very insignificant can have huge positive effects in the end. And the same goes for a bad habit, even a small insignificant bad habit will have a negative effect in the end.

A well-known example I could give you is smoking, for example. No one is going to die by smoking one time or even 10 times in their life for that matter, but if you smoke every day for several years, the likely cause to that effect is that you’ll have a much greater chance to develop cancer or cardiac problems. Lung cancer and cardiac arrest are known effects that are caused by inhaling smoke.

The Law of Cause and Effect works with everything and anything. This is one law we surely can’t escape. What we think, what we eat, what we say, what we do, all are causes that produce an equivalent effect.

I know this is usually difficult to accept for those who have a tendency of not accepting responsibility for what happens to them. However, if you are one of those who do take responsibility for what happens to them, always be conscious of the effect of every action that you take, big or small.

Here are few tips to help you start reaping better results using the cause and effect rule:

1. Pause

2. Take a deep breath

3. Say to yourself mentally “Relax – What’s my outcome”?

4. Picture the desired outcome

5. Create an Action Plan

6. Begin to move in that direction

Sylviane Nuccio is a professional Writer/Content Strategist and a Success Coach. She is a regular contributor to Huffington Post, International Living and Chamber of Commerce. She helps new entrepreneurs to become financially free.

28 Comments

HI Sylviane,
Many times I needed to take this advice. Just pause and focus on the goal. Sometimes you realize that you’re not really sure what the goal is in the first place. That’s when it’s time for some deep soul-searching.

People are always telling that I need to focus on different outcomes with my blog than the ones that I want to focus on. So I always have to keep things in check.

That’s why as a human beings we need to have a strong connection with our Higher Self, because when we do what other people think and say it’s like wind or air. When we have a strong insight we know better, so other people won’t even able to put doubts in our mind.

What another wonderful lesson you’ve shared Sylviane! I most definitely have learned this valuable lesson and I’m aware of it every single day.

I think I really got a much better grasp on this earlier this year when I listened to some audios that really explained how bad things happen to good people. That’s it’s the thoughts that you put out there and they don’t have to be bad but the vibration of that energy will come back to you.

I’m much more aware of my thoughts and my actions ever since then although I thought I had a pretty good handle on it at the time. It was a huge wake up call for me.

Another lesson I think more people need to learn and truly understand. I’ll be sharing this one as well.

You said what I wanted to say; I too feel I have this well understood, if not always perfectly apllied. It’s one thing to know how something works and quite another to apply it all the time isn’t it? But at least it’s a start.

Adrienne, you said something else that resonated with me about how you noticed how bad things can happen to good people – I see this too and yes it’s got to be the vibration-frequency or whatever you want to call it, and this is much harder to spot I think. Thoughts are so powerful, but in reality it’s the vibration of the thought too isn’t it?

You’re right its one thing to know something and quite another to apply. There is no doubt about that, and I am with you with this 🙂

As a matter of fact, Harleena, here ask that very question… why does bad things happen to good people, and I’ve given her an answer and will dedicate a post very soon about this very important and misunderstood topic.

Love it as always! You made some really great points here, Sylviane. Wishful thinking is never going to get you anywhere. You have to take action for what you want. And you have to take appropriate action – can’t plant a tomato and expect to get an apple tree! Sometimes this is the kind of thing you want to hit people over the head with because they whine about how nothing is ever going right and you just say “Well, what are you DOING about it?” They want to make money online but they don’t blog… um, ok…. good luck growing an apple tree 🙂

Just taking that pause and deep breath is helpful to get focused. I know it’s important for me because I go go go so fast sometimes and then I really have to slow down, stop and think about what I’m doing and where I want to go.

Yes, who doesn’t know people like that…. They say they want this and that, but if you are asking them what they are actually doing to get it, well, you’re getting those rather vague answers. You definitely are going to reap what you’ve planted. No way around that! And if you don’t plant anything at all, well, you can alwasy watch the weeds grow 🙂

Yes indeed, everything on this earth I think is related to the cause and effect law, just as you mentioned. Just as they say there is a reason or cause for everything that happens around us, whether the good or bad – and that has a direct or indirect effect on us, sooner or later. And as we sow, so shall we reap – holds good always!

I liked your example of starting a blog and getting those results. However, I wanted to ask that why do bad things happen to good people sometimes? Suppose a person is really good and does good deed, or works well for good causes, yet the effect he or she gets is always negative – why is that? Would you call that destiny? And here, how does the LOA work, because he or she is always done and wanting the good, so is attracting the positives, yet getting the negatives. I’ve always thought about this and thought to ask you about it. Yes, you did mention that sooner or later the effect would show, but I’ve known people live and die doing good for others, yet getting back nothing in return.

I love your question, and part of the reason I started to get deep into personal development was this very question.

Can bad things happen to good people? You bet they can. I’ve lived seeing this, Harleena with my own loving mother life and story.

My mother has been and most likely will forever be the most kind and giving person I’ve ever known. Yet, she had a rather unhappy childhood, she lost her husband in death at age 37, and she has now Alzheimer disease. Did she deserved all that? The hell NO!

However, looking at my mother’s state of mind, do I think that she attracted some of those horrible things and others to her life? I would have to sadly say that she did.

You see, you don’t attract what happens to you based on your kindness of heart or lack thereof – This is the GRAND misunderstanding that lots and lots of people have. I did too for the longest time. But, I now know that this is just not so. We attract through are thoughts, feelings and vibrations which all come from our subconscious mind makeup.

Now, a good deed can cause you to get a blessing, sure. But that may be just on a one time basis. The cause of a good deed will most likely bring about a positive outcome.

I will write a whole post about this very soon, Harleena, because I know that so many people have that same exact question. But for now this is my explanation based on what I’ve learned from my mentors, and what I’ve experience with my own eyes in my very own family and personal life.

Awesome, awesome post! I loved how you used the example of a garden to explain what cause and effect means. If we can see things visually we can remember them better. (At least that’s how it works for me.)

The Slight Edge is an excellent book. I’ve read it a couple of times and actually have it sitting right here on my desk to read again. What I like most about it are the examples about the penny doubled every day for 30 days and what a huge difference compound interest makes.

Thanks so much for sharing the great examples about cause and effect above!

I always try to give very easy to understand example and since I’m also a visual person, my example will usually turn out to be very visual. From the feedbacks I get I see that people like them, so it’s an encouragement to me to keep writing this way. I tend to make them very easy to understand, too. A four year old could get that, right?

I’m so glad you’ve read The Slight Edge, I am going to read it again soon 🙂 It really a great read.

Interesting piece Sylviane, so many people keep on doing the same things in their lives and wonder why nothing changes. They wish, they hope, they plan but never take any action to change it. They say “action speaks louder than words”. Though like you said, you have to have that positive “self talk” to get yourself into action. I really look forward to your post on why bad things happen to good people – that’s what the naysayers of this post would say 🙂Lisa invites you to read..2 Days Into Slowing Down Blogging & Social Media

Yes, indeed, so many people spend their life saying why me, but they don’t realize that the real source of the problem comes from deep down inside them. It’s a hard pill to swallow for most of us, but when we do admit that we are responsible for the most part, great things start to happen.

Hi Sylviane. This is a great explanation for the Law of Cause and Effect. Many people do not know about so, you’re right, don’t take responsibility for what happens to them. And those that know don’t always practice it. It has to become ingrained in our brains in order for it to truly work. Thank you for sharing this with us. Absolutely necessary for success.

Hey Sylviane
I loved this series of yours on Laws of Universe..I agree that you can’t expect things to happen without even acting towards it.. What we are in present is the result of your past actions and the future will depend on the actions you do in present..Thanks for this insightful share..

I think everyone agrees that whenever you use examples they are definitely helping out to imagine the picture you are describing dear 🙂 Bravo… Wonderful use of examples.

I really believe in cause and effect dear. It’s the way I act upon. I’m not believe in miracles or Santa clause much.

Anyway I have heard many and many times that people talking about though they are doing good stuff everyday, they are not getting such a good results in their lives. They sometimes say it’s better to do nothing than doing such good stuff. I think it’s common myth people embrace and may be they wanna get results quickly as possible. However there are bad and quick ways to get results, and some people can’t wait for long-term results will go for ’em too. But they will ruin lives.

Personally, I have witnessed though it takes time, they get what they deserve. It happened to me too, even in blogging. It’s not about doing a thing and waiting for result, but doing as much as we can continuously and be productive to be beneficial in long-term, right?

I appreciate what you are saying here but can’t help thinking that some people would find it harder to put into practice. Some people have more positive and happy personalities from birth, some have traumatic childhoods etc. Genetics and our early childhood experiences can make a big difference as to how we enter adult life. For some these concepts would be easy to grasp and put into practice, others would have to unlearn a lot before they could be successful with them.

For example, my mother had a very sad and poor childhood which she absolutely hated as an adult. She would always say “I would never want to be a child again”, or “I would never want to be young again”.

Did that marked her for life, yes it did! My mother struggled with happiness just about all the time. Why,? Well she never “learned” how to be happy when it mattered most, which is between the age of 0 and 7, so that shaped her subconscious mind for life. But that those people that I’m trying to help 🙂

Thanks for this reminder, there are times when we have this tendency to fail to think ahead when it is in fact essential in making sure that we are aware of what may lie ahead if we are not wary of the actions we take. Thanks for the enlightening read.